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Super Smash Bros. hints that Mario's extra lives are clones
Descriptions for items within Super Smash Bros. for 3DS have already discussed Metroid protagonist Samus' inability to crawl. Another meme-referencing bit of text surfaced this week, this time providing a theory for Mario's extra lives. According to the description for 1-Up Mushrooms in the European version of the game provided by NeoGAF user SalsaShark, an extra life means "a whole extra version of you." The bit of text within Super Smash Bros. pondered the meaning of Mario's clones and whether "making more copies of yourself the real goal of any adventure" before imagining "a bunch of Marios getting together to discuss it." The North American version rephrases the same notion, which recalls a video of the double cherry power-up in action in Super Mario 3D World, found after the break. Do you have any favorite Easter eggs from Super Smash Bros. on 3DS? If so, share them with us in the comments! The Wii U version of the game will launch November 21. [Image: Nintendo, Imgur]
Splatoon could have been a Mario game
When we got our hands on Nintendo's new IP, Splatoon, during E3 this year, we compared its charm to Super Mario 3D World or Mario Kart 8 – and according to Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, that was more on the nose than even we knew. Splatoon was nearly a Mario game, Miyamoto told Edge (via MCV). "There were heated debates over who the main character should be," Miyamoto said. "Whether it should be Mario, or the squid. When we talked about the possibility of it being Mario, of course we could think of the advantages: Anybody would be willing to touch it as soon as we announced that we had a new Mario game. But at the same time, we had some worries. If it were Mario, we wouldn't be able to create a new IP." Splatoon stars a series of squid kids with ink guns, battling in contained areas to not only hit other players, but to paint the map in their team's color. The kids turn into squids to swim through their team's paint and fill up their ink supply, or to out-maneuver rival players.
Voice of Mario meets Instagram in funny clips
Charles Martinet, best known as the voice of Mario, has joined Instagram. Of course, there are lots of people on Instagram, possibly even your dear ol' Granny. Of course, Granny probably isn't walking around with a bunch of Mario figurines and making silly videos (more power to her if she is, though). After starting his account in mid-August, Martinet has already filled it with plenty of amusing clips, including Mario educating Luigi on the art of puns, Wario not understanding said puns and the two brothers being juggled by a Chilean street performer. We'd suggest you start with that one and work your way forward. [Image: Charles Martinet]
Recall past stages, enemies with these Mario prints
If we tried to roll our Mario memories into a neatly-compacted ball, the result would look much more crude then artist Christopher Lee's efforts. Each 16x20" piece in Lee's Mario Madness set of prints recalls the environments and enemies from one game from the Mario Bros.' NES trilogy, Super Mario World or Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins. The 190-piece sets were made using offset printing and come with an embossed, gold foil replica of Nintendo's Seal of Quality. Lee is also including his take on each game's box art with orders of the related pieces, but it's not just prints that are up for grabs here - Lee is including "a bunch of loose stickers and a single unopened pack" of Merlin brand stickers from 1989 in each order. He's also throwing vintage enamel pins into random orders, so make sure to practice whichever luck ritual you follow before clicking the order button. Both the stickers and pins are available while supplies last, so if you order late and don't recieve stickers, everyone else beat you to it. Grabbing your favorite piece from the Mario Madness series will cost $25, or you can cave and get one of each series for $100. Update: Lee has reached out to explain the relation of the Merlin brand to the stickers he's including in orders while supplies last. The post has been updated accordingly. [Image: Christopher Lee]
Making your own Mario level is incredibly fun, but difficult to master
Today, I wrote my very own level of Super Mario Bros. at E3. Featuring a pyramid of goombas, several randomly placed pipes, a dozen mystery blocks in a row and countless coins scattered throughout, my creation was a jumbled mess; coming up with a cool world for Mario to navigate is a lot easier said than done. But it was mine. In the first half of next year, Wii U owners will have the same opportunity thanks to a game called Mario Maker. It's Nintendo's first attempt at producing a level creator similar to LittleBigPlanet or Project Spark, and it tugged at my heartstrings. For a brief moment, I shared the same experience as a small group of video game designers: Armed with a Wii U GamePad and its included stylus, I placed enemies, pipes, platforms and other Mario obstacles anywhere I wanted. In my demo, I was allowed to choose between the original game's 8-bit style and the high-def style from the franchise's recent titles. And just to make sure my Mario genesis was actually playable, I was able to play through it in real time.
Here are Nintendo's new 'Super Smash Bros.' Amiibo toys for Wii U
Toy-based gaming is not only alive and well, but it's also expanding to more franchises. This time it's Nintendo's turn: Following in the footsteps of games like Skylanders and Disney Infinity, Nintendo announced the Amiibo, which are plastic figurines that you scan into your Wii U by holding them on the GamePad. As soon as the toy is scanned, its corresponding character -- Mario is a primary example -- appears in the game with its own unique score, experience points and skills. The point of doing this is so you can either partner with or fight against these virtual characters. Additionally, the more the Amiibo fights, the better it will become. The toys, which were shown off for the first time at E3, will initially be available for (and compatible with) Super Smash Bros. this holiday season, but more games will be compatible later on, such as Mario Kart 8 and Mario Party 10.
Nintendo teases 'Mario Maker' for creating custom Mario levels on Wii U
We had a feeling Nintendo was going to announce something called "Mario Maker," a game that allows you to create your own levels in Super Mario Brothers -- after all, Nintendo Enthusiast found a poster for the damn thing in the company's E3 booth. Indeed, Nintendo just teased it in a press event, though it only provided a scant few details. In a series of screenshots, we saw someone creating custom levels, with the help of the Wii U's included stylus. Though you can design the level using old-school 8-bit graphics, as in the screenshot above, you can also go with the sort of modern look found in Mario's newer titles. No word on exact release date, except that it will hit North America and Europe sometime in 2015.
Watch Nintendo's E3 2014 livestream here [Update: It's over!]
Nintendo will reveal the future of the Wii U and 3DS today in a special E3 livestream at 9:00AM PT (12:00PM ET), and we'll be on hand to dish out commentary and context in our liveblog. Best of all, there's no saying what will be announced today! Will Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime announced a new Mario game? Perhaps Nintendo will unveil a new game in the Mario series, or we'll learn that Mario is returning to the living room. (Really Nintendo, can Samus come out to play? We miss her.) Follow along here and on our liveblog to find out! Those following along internationally can check out Nintendo UK's stream as well. Update: Nintendo's main E3 show is over, though you can re-live all of the publisher's announcements in text form. [Image: Nintendo]
Mario Kart 8 races past 1.2 million sales in debut weekend
Despite first appearing last Friday, Mario Kart 8 has already managed to attract 1.2 million sales, a figure that earns the mascot kart racer the title of "fastest selling Wii U game to date." Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime greets this news with all the excitement of an over-caffeinated puppy. "The early response to Mario Kart 8 demonstrates that the best days for Wii U are still ahead," said Fils-Aime. "This year's E3 is just days away, and it will be all about the future games for Nintendo platforms. This milestone is a great place to start!" If Fils-Aime's enthusiasm doesn't immediately convince you to give the game a shot, take a look at our Mario Kart 8 review. Thomas awarded the racer a nearly perfect, 4.5 of 5 stars, and though he feels the game doesn't do much to introduce new ideas to the franchise, the combination of series-first high-definition graphics and classic Mario Kart gameplay make for yet another first-party Nintendo classic. [Image: Nintendo]
Watch this guy shred through four decades of video game music
Sure, some video games require lightning-fast fingers, but even the most insane combos in Street Fighter don't quite compare to running up and down a guitar's fretboard lickety-split. To pay tribute to 40-plus years of gaming history, YouTuber FamilyJules7X put together an epic 17-minute performance (embedded after the break) of music from the medium's past and present. If you ever wanted to hear heavy metal versions of classic game-themes like Space Invaders, Phozon and Tetris alongside those of Donkey Kong Country, Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Fallout 3, this should be right up your alley. Most impressive? Jules shot the video, mixed the audio, programmed the drums and performed the guitar and bass parts himself in eight days -- all during his last week of college finals. If you want to download an MP3 of the track, hit the YouTube page. Now, if you'll pardon us, we have some head-banging to do.
Mario rides the hood of NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth
Mario can drive in pretty much whatever direction he wants in Mario Kart 8, but today he'll be practicing left turns on the hood of NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth's No. 20 car. Kenseth will be racing in the annual, 200-lap History 300 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, a track with a disappointing lack of gravity-shifting sections. Really though, if we could at least throw some item boxes down, we'd have a pretty decent replica of Baby Park. If you're actually heading down to the Charlotte Motor Speedway instead of just tuning in from home, Nintendo will be there with MK8 kiosks for fans to test drive. Mario and Luigi will be around too, in case you'd like photographic evidence that the Bros. are real, just like Santa and everything else you've ever loved. Both the game and the Bros. will be present in the Fan Zone today and tomorrow. Best of luck to Kenseth today, but we think the competition's just lucky that Josh Wise isn't using his No. 98 car. Can you imagine coming up to his bumper and getting that unflinching Doge staredown? [Image: Nintendo]
Talk show's 'Nintendo Gay Marriage' video pairs up Mario, Link
Last Week Tonight discussed the ten-year anniversary of Massachusetts' legalization of same-sex marriage by poking fun at Nintendo's apology for not including same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life. Steamier than the average fan-fiction, the talk show played match-maker with Nintendo's characters.
Nintendo plans new NFC figures and games in a bid to rescue the Wii U
We hope you liked Skylanders, because Nintendo is apparently setting up its own range of toys to accidentally tread under foot. At the company's financial briefing this morning, it outlined a Mario figure that could be used across multiple titles, somehow tying into game saves too. It's not the first for Nintendo's console: Pokemon Scramble connected NFC toys to the Wii U last year. Interestingly, Nintendo had apparently declined exclusivity on Activision's lucrative Skylanders series. These physical characters and games, grouped together as NFP (which apparently stands for both NFC Featured Platform and Nintendo Figurine Platform), will debut at this year's E3, alongside a new IR reader for 3DSes that will make the toys compatible across both the handheld and the Wii. With 3DS sales currently totaling 43 million, and the Wii U struggling to top six million, it's probably a wise business decision.
Joystiq Weekly: Mario's links, socially conscious awards and a mobile hitman
Welcome to the Joystiq Weekly wrap-up where we present some of the best stories and biggest gaming news from our sister-publication.
Mario licensed golf bag is certainly a golf bag with Mario on it
For years, gamers have struggled to reconcile their desire to show their love of a video game franchise and their desire to play golf. Well fret no longer comrades, because the Mario golf bag is here, and it looks ... um, it looks ... well, it certainly is a golf bag. It's got pockets and slots and everything! Golf players are somewhat known for their interesting choices in fashion, and what better way to complement the loud colors and patterns of players' clothing than with an equally ... uh ... provocative golf bag? A provocative golf bag that will cost you 48,500 yen (about $473) when ordered through the Enjoy! Caddie Bag Store. In all seriousness, it's not like we haven't seen stranger things, and there's no mistaking this bag for anything else out there. If the greens are where you want to show your love for all things Mario, who are we to judge? [Image: Nintendo]
Transmog while you wait for Warlords
We're all looking for something to keep us busy while we wait for Warlords of Draenor. Why not spend sometime making ourselves look good? Many of us at WoW Insider have been obsessed with the transmogrification feature ever since it has been implemented, so let's take a moment to look back on some of the fashion options available. Superheroes in Azeroth Avengers, assemble! Our most popular transmog post ever. Transmogging DC Comics' greatest heroes Transmogging more of the women of DC Comics More superhero outfits for your nerdy pleasure Here are the Masters of the Universe, if you're into that Follow us behind the break for sets to match gaming icons from Nintendo and beyond, tributes to Azeroth's greatest heroes, class-based transmogrification inspiration, and guides to gathering tier armor of expansions past.
Mario Kart 8 shooting turtle shells on May 30
Mario Kart 8 will launch on May 30, Nintendo announced during today's Nintendo Direct livestream. The next entry in the long-running driving series will also be the first on the Wii U. The kart racer was announced during the publisher's E3 2013 presentation and was initially given a "spring 2014" launch window. [Image: Nintendo]
Nintendo denies smartphone software rumor, says it has 'no plans' to offer mini-games on rival hardware
Nintendo? Making games for other hardware? Not so fast. Nikkei's widely reported tale of Mario et al. coming to a smartphone near you is unlikely to happen -- at least in the way we were all half-hoping for. The company has told Engadget that it has no plans to offer "mini-games" on smartphone platforms, reiterating its CEO's statements in prior financial reports that touched on using smart devices to better promote its games, characters and hardware. You'll just have to wait for that briefing from Iwata-san, later this week, to discover exactly how the company plans to grab a few more coins. The full statement follows below: "Nikkei's article contains information previously stated by Mr. Iwata during past press conferences, including statements which relate to Nintendo's willingness to make use of smart devices to promote our products. However during such past announcements Mr. Iwata has also stated that Nintendo's intention is not to make Nintendo software available on smart devices and as such, we can confirm that there are no plans to offer mini-games on smartphone devices. "
Rare NES game sells for nearly $100,000, even rarer one appears online
Remember the ratty copy of Nintendo World Championships that popped up on eBay earlier this week? After a fast and furious auction, the ultra-rare cartridge sold for a staggering $99,902. Naturally, such eye-watering figures have prompted two more collectors to sell their prized possessions online. First up, there's a mint-condition grey edition with an intact label, but if you're not fussed about stickers, then there's the even rarer gold edition up for grabs. Considering that only 26 of the 116 cartridges were gold, produced specifically for Nintendo Power prize winners, it's an even rarer find for the 8-bit enthusiast. If you missed out on a chance to bid for the original and want a do-over, then perhaps this is your lucky day. [Image credit: mtnlife, eBay] [Thanks, Danny]
One of the rarest games in the world just landed on eBay
If you'd seen this ratty-looking NES cartridge at a yard sale, you'd be forgiven for not giving it a second glance. If you'd paid a few bucks to take it home, however, then congratulations: you just won the admiration of every gamer in the world. The 1990 Nintendo World Championship toured the US with a custom game that asked players to beat levels from Super Mario Bros., Rad Racer and Tetris in less than seven minutes. Just 116 of these carts were produced, each one going to finalists and competition winners -- making it one of the rarest Nintendo titles ever made. Now, this not-so-gorgeous-looking copy, where some misguided fool decided that scrawling "Mario" in ballpoint was an adequate replacement for the torn label, is available on eBay. The starting price is $5,000, less than half of the $11,500 someone paid for one in 2011, but you'd better hurry up and sell those organs, as the auction's due to finish in less than 48 hours. [Image credit: mursean, eBay ]
